The Aftermath of Betrayal
by GodGirl5900
Summary: When Emma and her new friend Lily promise to stay friends forever, Emma truly means what she says. But when betrayal blows through their relationship, Emma reacts in a way she wish she hadn't, wrecking the friendship for good. When she stays with Ingrid, the alleged Snow Queen, she must learn to get over the heartbreak whilst still learning her lessons from mistakes.
1. One of a Kind

**Okay, so like I said on my profile, I planned on writing a OUAT fic, and here it is :D This takes place in a Season 4 flashback, when young Emma (about 13 or 14) is living with her friend, Lily, in an unused summer vacation home. I loved the relationship these girls had, and how emotional the betrayal was (spoiler alert for those of you who haven't seen it). **

**Enjoyyyyy! ;D**

Emma grabbed another handful of chips from the china bowl she and Lily found in the cupboard of the house. She had been running from the foster system for as long as she could remember, and having Lily with her-another orphan running from Social Services-was so reassuring. Suddenly, she wasn't so alone in the world.

"Ohmygosh," Emma sighed, crunching on the potato chips. "These are AMAZING!"

Lily laughed, and switched the channel on the TV. "You act like you haven't had chips before!"

"It feels like I haven't had them in forever!"

Emma got up, and placed the now empty bowl in the kitchen sink, which was piling up with dishes after the few weeks they'd been there. Walking back to the living room, Emma noticed a family portrait on the wall of the hallway leading upstairs. Curious, she walked up the first few stairs to take a closer look. It was the picture of a young family, with parents in their early thirties, and children no older than seven.

_It must be nice to have a real family, _Emma thought. But she shook her head. _At least I have Lily._

"Emma!" Lily cried from the living room. "See if they have any donuts in the pantry!"

Emma was shaken from her dazed state, and thundered down the stairs and into the kitchen once more. She flung open the pantry, and grabbed the bag of packaged donuts, and ran back to join Lily.

"You've _got _to play this game!" Lily was squealing. "It's _awesome_!"

Emma flopped onto the couch, and picked up a video game controller. Lily started the racing game, and the two girls raced their imaginary cars for what felt like hours, Emma losing nine times out of ten. After each time, though, both girls were doubled over with laughter, celebrating the victories and defeats as one.

"I suck at this!" Emma cried, cracking up as she laid back on the couch.

Lily was laughing, too. "Haven't you ever played before?"

"No! I never lived in a place that could afford one of these!"

Lily smiled brightly. "You'll get the hang of it. You hungry?"

Emma nodded, and Lily reached for the snacks piled on the coffee table, including the donuts Emma had brought. When she did, her sleeve rolled up, revealing a star engraved onto Lily's skin.

"Woah, what happened?" Emma asked, looking at the mark.

Lily stared at her forearm, too. "Oh. Uh, I don't know. I've had this as far back as I could remember." she chuckled, and added, "I like to pretend it's some kind of symbol, like Harry Potter or something."

"Like you're one-of-a-kind," Emma murmured. "Like you're special."

Lily blushed. "I know it's stupid," she said, and sighed.

"No, it's not," Emma replied with a smile.

Then, Lily picked up a marker from the table, and drew a small star on Emma's wrist, right where Lily's star was. "M'kay," she said. "Then you are special, too."

"Thanks," Emma murmured, staring at the star, and then back up at Lily with a bright smile.

Suddenly, Emma noticed a video camera on the side table beside them. "Hey!" she said, and picked it up. "Check this out!"

The two girls began goofing off for the camera, and giggling among themselves. Emma shut the screen of the camera, and Lily turned to her, an excited yet serious look on her face.

"Let's promise to stay friends, okay?" she said, a hopeful glimmer in her eyes. "No matter what, there won't be anything we can't come back from."

Emma drew in a sharp breath, and exhaled softly. "Okay. Yeah. Promise," she said, nodding.

"For real?"

"For real," Emma promised.


	2. Betrayal and Deception

**Here's chapter 2! Since this is one of the first fics I'm posting chapter-by-chapter, I'll be sure to put notes for every chapter :D so if any of you guys were wondering, Lily is an actual character in OUAT. In season 4, Emma has flashbacks of staying with Lily in a summer home by themselves, and I wanted to recreate that scene with more in-depth views into Emma's thoughts. So mostly everything in this story actually happened in the season 4, episode 5 of OUAT.**

**Disney/ABC owns OUAT. Y'alls know the drill! Enjoy!**

Emma couldn't believe that she and Lily managed to stay a whole week in the house without getting busted by Social Services. It was rare she every got _anywhere _without getting caught, and it seemed as if she and Lily made an excellent team. There had been a few incidents throughout the week where neighbors scrutinized the house-especially after seeing the broken windows Lily and Emma used to break in-but they managed to hide all their evidence and sneak out the back door before anyone could notice them.

They had begun their second week of living at the house, sleeping peacefully on the couch. It had been another uneventful day of watching TV, playing video games, and the occasional shopping trip taken to the mall, using Lily's stolen credit card, which had surprisingly not yet been canceled. Emma was always a light sleeper, and when the creaking of the door came into earshot, she bolted up on the couch.

"Hey," Emma whispered, shaking Lily to wake up. "Hey, hey, hey! There's someone in the house! We need to go."

Lily awoke, and looked around. Suddenly a flashlight shone in their faces. Lily's eyes grew horrified, and Emma prepared to fight.

"Lilleth?" the voice said.

Emma stood up, and grabbed a heavy candlestick off the fireplace, and nodded to Lily. "Run. I got this."

Lily stood up, but didn't run. Emma was poised to knock the man out with the butt of the candlestick, and faced the tall, shadowed man.

"Stay away!" she cried. "You're not taking us anywhere. We're _not _going back into the system."

The man's face came into few, and he looked straight at Lily. "Sweetheart, what nonsense have you been telling this girl?"

Emma turned around, and looked at Lily, confused. "What's going on? Who is this?" Lily stayed silent. "Lily?" Emma called, demanding an answer.

"Honey, tell her the truth," the man said firmly, and Emma turned around again. "I'm your father. And you're coming home with me; your mother's worried sick."

Emma's mouth dropped open slowly, and she faced Lily again. "Your _father_? You have a _family_?"

Lily's eyes welled up with tears, and Emma was heartbroken. "I thought you were like me," Emma murmured.

Lily's father talked with the police, and Lily was in the back seat of her father's car, the very same one that had chased Emma and Lily down not even two weeks earlier. Emma stood in the middle of it all, mortified that Lily had lied to her about being an orphan. She didn't know where the system would send her next, and at this point, she really didn't care.

"Emma," Lily hissed. "Emma! Emma!"

Finally, Emma turned around, and gave Lily the nastiest look. Lily held out a piece of paper. "Don't worry about my dad," she murmured. "He's just pissed that I used his Visa. When this blows over, come find me. We can run away together." she smiled, and tried to hand Emma the piece of paper.

Emma shook her head. "You tricked me."

"I'm sorry. I know I lied about my family," Lily replied. "But everything else I said is true. I _hate _my home. I feel invisible there. I'm just like you." at Emma's doubtful look, Lily continued. "I was an orphan, and it's just that they adopted me. But it's _not _my home. You promised; friends forever. No matter what."

Emma shoved the piece of paper back into Lily's hands, and turned away to go with Social Services to the next home. Lily cried out desperately, still trying to give Emma the piece of paper; still holding out hope for the friendship despite what she'd done. Emma licked her thumb, and rubbed off the star written in marker on her wrist with disgust.

"Emma!" Lily yelled. "Emma!"

The woman in charge of the local foster system opened the door to a minivan, and Emma stepped in the back seat, tears streaming down her cheeks. She had truly hoped that Lily would have been her new sister.

Her new family.

"Where am I going next?" Emma asked weakly, as the woman pulled out of the driveway.

The woman shook her head. "Not many kids have been as drastic as you have, so we're sending you to a proper home. The woman in charge of the house has whipped many children like you into shape, and it should be a good place for you."

"W-w-what's her name?" Emma stammered, terrified.

"Ingrid. Her name's Ingrid."

**I know this chapter was pretty short, but I kind of just wrote what was in the OUAT episode. Same for the first chapter. Except for that little bit at the end where Emma talks to the Social Services lady, everything was word-for-word from the episode flashback. Next chapter will be longer and 90% original, I promise. The only reason I say 90% is that there's gonna be some quotes between Ingrid and Emma that are from the next episodes as well.**

**Hope you enjoyed! Please review with thoughts! Reviews encourage me to write more!**


	3. Ingrid

**Here it is! Chapter 3! This one is definitely longer and more original than the others. There are some Ingrid/Emma convos quoted directly from the show, but most of it I came up with myself.**

"Hello," Ingrid said softly. She sat across the table from Emma, who had a concerned look on her face.

Emma's voice was barely a whisper. "Hi."

Ingrid smiled. "You don't have to be afraid. I don't bite."

Emma tried to crack a grin. "The Social Services lady made it seem like you did,"

"Mm, is that so? What'd she say?" Ingrid's smile was whiter than snow, and she seemed interested in what Emma had to say.

"She said that you whipped bad kids into shape... that you'd make sure I behaved."

Ingrid laughed. "Well, I do run a tight ship. But it is a fun ship. I think you'll love it here."

"Don't hold your breath," Emma muttered.

Ingrid ignored Emma's comment, and tried to move forward with the conversation. "So... what did you say your name was?"

"Emma," she whispered. "Emma Swan."

Ingrid's already pale face grew even paler, and her eyes widened. "E-E-Emma?" she stammered. "Emma _Swan_?"

Emma nodded, giving Ingrid a strange look.

Ingrid composed herself, and gave Emma a bright smile, and folded her hands. "Well, Emma," she said. "You're going to have a lovely time with us. Trust me, you'll love it here."

XxX

"Heyyy! Look what the new girl brought with her!" cried Kevin, cracking up as he recorded on the same camera Emma had while living with Lily.

Emma was furious, and tried to take it back, "Hey! Give... me...!"

But Kevin wouldn't budge. He danced in front of the camera, taunting Emma with his height. Suddenly, a sharp, cool, voice rang out.

"Give it back, Kevin! The camera is Emma's, not yours."

Emma turned around, and Ingrid was standing there, hands on her hips. "We respect property in this household, don't we, Kevin?"

Kevin sighed,and handed the camera to Ingrid. "Yes, ma'am."

Kevin left, and Ingrid handed the video camera back to Emma. "Here you go, Emma."

Emma tried to smile, but she stayed still. "It's okay, sweetie," Ingrid whispered, smiling. "I know you're new here, but you're going to be just fine."

Emma soaked in Ingrid's words, and Ingrid left, calling out, "Okay! Lights out in fifteen! Don't forget to brush your teeth!"

Just as she turned to leave, Kevin whipped around the doorframe, a smirk curled on his lips. "It's your choice, sweetie. You can either give me that camera tomorrow, or I can make your life a living _hell_."

Emma gave him a yeah-right-idiot stare, but

terrified, she grabbed a messenger bag as Kevin left. She didn't care what Ingrid said about loving the place; she was leaving. Now.

XxX

Tears dripped down Emma's cheeks as she packed; Ingrid really _was _a nice person. She had protected Emma from several more of Kevin's antics, made an amazing dinner for the kids, and even played board games before bedtime. It was the most fun she'd had in any foster home. She had made friends with two other kids, both of who hated Kevin. Up until the moment of Kevin's threat, she thought she might not run away after all. But afterwards, all she could think about was getting away before trouble came.

She tiptoed down the stairs, clutching the strap of her bag tightly against her chest. She was right about to touch the knob of the front door, when a lamp flicked on. Emma froze, terrified of how Ingrid might react. She turned toward the light, and saw Ingrid in her pajamas, sipping away at a mug of cocoa.

"I made us some cocoa. Wanna join me?" she said softly, gesturing for Emma to sit.

Emma shook her head. "No," she murmured simply.

"Suit yourself." she said, and then took a deep breath. "You know, by my account, there are fifteen separate subconscious signs, or tells, that a new foster child displays when they're going to run away on his or her first night."

Emma hung her head, and Ingrid continued. "In the brief time we were together... you showed seven." Emma sighed, and prepared for a lecture. But though Ingrid frowned, she said, "Not that I blame you. When I was younger, I did the same thing."

"You ran away?" Emma asked.

"I tried to," Ingrid replied, and smiled softly as she reminisced. "People in my life... they, uh, they intervened. Do you want to know why?"

"Does it matter?" Emma tried to sound tough.

"It did to me. They stopped me because they cared about me."

Emma frowned. "Lucky you."

"No," Ingrid said. "Lucky _you. _Because now that you're living under my roof, I'm going to care for you. The way they cared for me."

"Yeah, well, don't waste your time. I'm not interested."

Ingrid sighed. "Mmm. Well, suit yourself. Go. I won't stop you."

"You won't?"

"No! Go on! More cocoa for me."

Emma looked at the cup of cocoa Ingrid was drinking, and she was shocked to see a sprinkling of cinnamon on top of the foam. She didn't know if Ingrid liked her coca that way, too, or if she just knew that Emma did. But, trying to stay strong, she turned to leave."

"I understand how difficult it must be to live under the same roof as someone like Kevin, who is _deathly _afraid of spiders. Any spiders, really. Small spiders, big spiders... even the rubber ones I keep in my desk. In the drawer. On the right. Behind the box of staples." Ingrid shook her head. "Poor Kevin. It's a shame you can't stay, Emma."

Smirking, Emma turned back around. "Maybe... maybe I could hang around for one more day."

Ingrid smiled and shrugged. "Works for me."

The two shared a laugh, and Ingrid motioned for Emma to sit again, and this time, she did. Emma picked up the warm mug, and sipped at the cocoa, some of the foam from the whipped cream dabbing on her nose.

"How did you know I like cinnamon?" Emma asked. "On my cocoa."

"Instinct, perhaps," Ingrid murmured. "I'm not sure."

Emma smiled. "Not many people know me that well."

"I assume you haven't had time to make many lasting friendships."

Emma shook her head. "Haven't hung around long enough in one place."

"Tell me about your last home," Ingrid said softly. "Maybe it could help me improve my foster-parenting skills."

Emma sighed. "It was a great home and all... but then one of my friends, a little girl... she got adopted. I hopped a bus that night... I realized that I'm too old for anyone to want to adopt me."

"I'm sure that's not true."

"It is," Emma insisted. "Everywhere I've been, I'm older than everyone else. _No one _has ever even thought about adopting me."

Ingrid smiled. "You haven't given them the chance."

Emma sipped at the cocoa. "I guess. It's just hard to trust people."

"What do you mean?"

"I had a friend," Emma said, looking directly at Ingrid. "And... we lived in one of those vacation homes in Minnesota. Right after I left my last home. She and I swore to be friends forever, no matter what. She said she was an orphan, too. And that she was running from the system, just like I was."

"Well, what happened?"

"Her _dad _came and busted us. Her _dad. _She wasn't an orphan! She was adopted by this couple, and even though she felt invisible, she still had a family! That's more than I've _ever _had! I couldn't believe she lied to me. I-I went back on my promise. And then I came here."

Ingrid shook her head and tsked. "That's a shame, you know? She didn't realize how much she had, and she still wanted more. Some people are like that, Emma. But that's just human nature, a lot of times. One thing that my family taught me was that sometimes, you have to accept people for who they are... even if everyone else sees them as a monster-or in your case, a liar."

"I couldn't, Ingrid! She completely deceived me! It-It was-"

Ingrid finished her cocoa, and put the mug down on the coffee table. "Emma," she said, and put her hand on Emma's, which was still gripping the mug. "No matter _what _a person has done to you, if they really care about you, they'll come back around. And they'll do their best to be better the next time."

"What about your family?" Emma asked. "Who'd they have to learn to accept?"

"They..." Ingrid began. "They, uh, had to accept me. For who _I _was."

"Really? You seem pretty average to me..."

Ingrid laughed. "I suppose. Where I lived, nobody there agreed with you. But my family-my sisters, specifically-they... they loved me in spite of my... unique qualities."

"What unique qualities?"

"Nothing... too out of the ordinary," Ingrid tried to avoid the subject.

Emma looked her in the eyes. "You know... I can tell when someone's lying. It's... it's a gift. A superpower, I guess."

"I'm not lying, Emma."

"I know."

Ingrid cleared her throat, and kept going. "Anyway, my sisters were the only ones who really accepted me for most of my life... and then... they stopped living their lessons. They turned on me."

Emma lowered her head. "That sucks," she whispered.

"Yes, it does. But," she said, standing up, and picking up her empty mug, she smiled. "The good thing is, I did learn the lessons they taught me. And I promise, Emma, I will never stop living by those lessons, like my sisters did."

Emma smiled, too, and stood up. The two were silent for a moment, and Emma leaped at Ingrid, giving her a giant hug.

"Oh!" Ingrid exclaimed. "Emma, what's this for."

"For being the only person who understands me."

**OKAY! Hope you guys liked that one! :D the only parts that were quoted from the show was the scenario with Kevin, and the first half of Emma's and Ingrid's convo, up until Ingrid's "Works for me". Hope you guys liked it! It was a little longer than the first two chapters, but I think the next one'll be the last. It'll probably be another show scenario, right up until Emma leaves Ingrid (spoiler!). **

**Review and let me know what you think!**


	4. Turning the Tables

**This looks like it'll be the last chapter, folks! If you have any other story ideas for a new fic or another chapter of this one, please do let me know, because I almost feel bad I cut it short ^_^ that's just me I guess.**

**Review Review Review!**

**PS: ABC/Disney owns OUAT. ;)**

Emma ended up staying much longer than she planned, for she had such a connection with Ingrid, she didn't _want _to leave. Ingrid clearly favored her over the other foster children in the house; something that had never happened for the young teenage girl. Nearly every day, Ingrid had some fun or interesting activity to do with Emma; together, the two girls went shopping, hiking, and so much more. Other kids were jealous, but Ingrid kept them in line, and consistently defended Emma against Kevin and another new friend of his. Emma couldn't believe she had spent the past six months living in a home without running away, and she hoped with all her might that Ingrid would adopt her.

"Oh!" Emma cried, laughing as she once again failed to grab a toy in the claw game at the fair. "What do I do? Help!"

Ingrid was laughing, too. "Don't look at me! _You're _driving!"

Emma tried again futilely to get the claw to pick up the stuffed dog with a prize on its collar. Cracking up again, she said, "I can't do it!"

"Concentrate," Ingrid murmured seriously.

Emma smiled. "Okay, okay." She focused, and took a deep breath.

"Trust your instincts, and let 'er rip!" Ingrid encouraged, awaiting to see if Emma would succeed.

Emma narrowed her eyes at the prize, and took another breath of concentration. Just before lowering the lever, the lights in the game suddenly flickered and sparked, and Emma jumped back in fright. Ingrid put a friendly hand on her shoulder, and guided her back to the game.

"Don't let go," Ingrid whispered. "Win."

Emma nodded, and slowly maneuvered the joystick toward the stuffed dog. Skillfully, she twisted the controls, and to her shock, she entrapped the prize in the claw, and a smile erupted on her face.

"Yes!" she and Ingrid cried together, and the dog dropped into the collection bin.

Ingrid picked up the dog, and smiled. "Let's see what you've won,"

Emma untied the collar attached to the dog's neck, and pulled a small ring from the ribbon, and she slid it onto her finger gleefully.

"I love it," she murmured.

"See, Emma, _this _is a great lesson," Ingrid said, smiling brighter. "Emma, if you push yourself, and ignore the flickering lights and distractions of this world, you can accomplish anything."

Emma laughed, and shoved Ingrid playfully. "Ingrid, it's a plastic ring, not a scholarship to Yale."

"I know. But you're a special girl, Emma. And someday, you're going to surprise _everybody _with your extraordinary gifts."

Emma chuckled again, and rolled her eyes. "Okay, now you're going overboard."

"I'm serious," she said, and tears welled up in her eyes as she suddenly hugged Emma. "I'm glad I got to know you."

Emma saw Ingrid wipe her tears, and her eyes widened with fear. "Ingrid, are you _crying_?"

"No!" she quickly replied. "Just-a little emotional." She smiled brightly, trying to conceal her tears.

Emma caught sight of an envelope from the city in Ingrid's bag on the ground, and she looked up to her foster mother, horrified. "I'm being sent away again!" she said.

"What?"

"That's why we spent the day together."

"No!"

"That's why you're crying."

Ingrid picked up the bag quickly. "No! You couldn't be more wrong!"

"Then what is it?" Emma asked, confused.

"I'm-I'm filling out the paperwork to adopt you," Ingrid stammered. "We're going to be a family!"

"Are you serious?"

"I know that it's a bit late," Ingrid rambled. "And you may not look at me as a mother-I know how hard that is-but I-I promise, I will be the best big sister that you could _ever _hope for."

Emma threw herself into Ingrid's arms, and squeezed her tightly. After all those years of painful foster homes, running away, and even Lily's betrayal, Emma had what she had always wanted; a family. A real, true family. With someone who understood her more than she would have ever imagined.

"I love you," Emma whispered.

Ingrid began crying again. "I love you too," she replied.

Emma couldn't have thought that anything would have ever gone wrong.

But as her luck would have it, something _did _go wrong.

And this time, she wasn't being betrayed.

_She _was leaving _Ingrid. _

XxX

A week later, Emma and Ingrid were walking home, as a car splashed by on the wet street, and Emma squealed.

"It's nights like this that I could just _poof _home, like Harry Potter. If I was like him, I would be standing here in the cold one minute, and home soaking in the tub in the next." She said, smiling.

Ingrid pursed her lips into a tight smile. "That would be something, wouldn't it?" There was an icy moment of silence, and then Ingrid took a sharp breath. "Emma, do you remember how much fun we had at the arcade last week?"

"Of course! Best day I've had in a long time. How could I forget?"

"And do you remember when the lights in the game flickered? Right before you won."

"Yeah. Weird."

Ingrid's smile turned into a smirk. "What if it was more than just weird? What if it meant you were on the cusp of a great self-revelation?"

Emma's brow furrowed, and she looked at Ingrid as if she were crazy. The blinding high-beams of a car came flashing at the two, and Ingrid pulled Emma by the hand out into the street.

"I think it's time," she whispered.

The car drew closer, and Emma almost flew like a kite in the wind as Ingrid kept pulling her into the path of the speeding car. "What are you doing?!" She cried.

Ingrid came to a halt dead in front of said car. "Stop the car," she whispered.

"What?!"

"Trust your instincts!" Ingrid cried. "Do it! Stop the car!"

Emma tried violently to release herself from Ingrid's iron grip as the car came near to hitting them. "Let GO of me!" she screamed, and finally pulled herself from the car's path. She ran to the safety of the sidewalk, and the car swerved to avoid hitting Ingrid, honking it's horn continually.

"Emma!" Ingrid called after her, and ran to catch up.

Emma had a look of horror on her face, and Ingrid was ready to cry. "I-I'm sorry," Ingrid said.

"Are you _crazy_?! You almost killed me!"

"I-I made a mistake," Ingrid went on, stumbling over her words. "When I was younger, I-I had a traumatic experience that unleashed a power that I-I didn't even know that I had!" she tried to pull Emma into a hug, but Emma wrenched away violently.

"What are you _talking _about?!"

Ingrid tried to explain. "I-I thought that the arcade was a sign that you were coming into your own!"

Emma was shocked. This woman was insane! "You think that I have _powers_, like Harry Potter?!"

"No, Emma! That's fiction! What you have is more real and more powerful than you can possibly imagine!"

Emma shook her head, ready to cry. "Great. I should have known the only person willing to _adopt _me would turn out to be a nutjob!"

Ingrid tried to grab Emma's arm as she ran. "No, Emma-"

"Don't touch me!" Emma screamed. "I... thought..."

Before she could finish, she booked down the street, tears streaming down her face. Of all the families she imagined herself being a part of, this was one that she never could of dreamed up. Ingrid seemed like the decent sort, but she was really just a psycho trying to entrap her, she decided. She couldn't bear the thought of living with someone crazy like her, and kept running, not looking back.

"Wait!" Ingrid called, running after her. "Emma! Emma!" now sobbing as she stopped following Emma, Ingrid painfully shouted, almost making Emma want to turn back. "EMMA!"

The tears streaming farther, now dripping onto the sidewalk, Emma couldn't believe what had happened.

_When this blows over, _Lily's voice echoed in Emma's head. _Come find me. We'll run away together. _

Emma stopped running, and then heard Ingrid's voice in her head.

_No matter __what__a person has done to you, if they really care about you, they'll come back around. And they'll do their best to be better the next time._

All the memories of living with Lily came flooding back, and suddenly, she wished she hadn't given up on her friend so easily. She thought of trying to find her, but she knew it'd be no use. By the time she'd track Lily down, Social Services would find her and ship her off to the next foster home. It was better off that she just turn herself in.

And with a painful and heavy heart, that's exactly what she did.


End file.
